Coffee Hour Archive

Is being a tenure-track professor the only pathway for a PhD wanting to teach and do research? What is important to you in you professional career and where are you looking?

Although tenure-track positions at research intensive universities are often portrayed as the ideal destination for doctoral students seeking an academic career, findings from a recent survey (see here) suggest that contemporary doctoral students see parts of these “fast track” positions as incompatible with a healthy work-life balance. Using the Mason et al. study as a starting point, this CIRTL Coffee Hour will discuss some of the tensions and trade-offs that doctoral students are facing. We will also examine how professional development programs like those in the CIRTL Network can give doctoral students knowledge and skills that make them more marketable for a range of academic careers.

Audio Recording

The April 7 Coffee Hour will provide an informal opportunity to further discuss the topics raised in the CIRTLCast (www.cirtl.net/cirtlcasts) held the previous hour.

The CIRTLCast presentation and following Coffee Hour discussion examine what a new generation of faculty need to be able to do to succeed in academia today. What does faculty work look like and how is it changing? What competencies should graduate students and post-docs develop as they prepare for faculty roles?

Audio Recording